Of moonshine and memories | BoyXBoy

Winding roads

The sun hung low in the sky, casting an orange glow over the highway as we sped along. The car was packed full of my belongings, messily thrown into boxes that barely fit in the back seat. It wasn't much. Just the essentials, and Lucian hadn't brought much either. He never did.

We'd been on the road all night and most of the day, the weight of our rushed decision still hanging in the air. It was sudden, too sudden, but there was no going back now. At least that's what I kept telling myself. I was on edge, feeling the enormity of it all. Leaving behind everything, uprooting our lives. I could feel it gnawing at me, that sense of uncertainty, the unknown ahead. I glanced at Lucian, wondering if he felt it too, but if he did, he hid it well.
Surely, he wouldn't admit it. Not to me, and probably not to himself.

The silence between us was thick, only the low hum of the engine and the crackling of a barely-tuned radio filling the space. Neither of us had said much since we left, both lost in our own thoughts.

Finally, Lucian broke the quiet. His voice casual, almost too casual, as he rested his head on his palm, staring out at the endless stretch of road ahead. "Seattle, huh?"

I glanced over at him, trying to gauge his mood. "Yeah."

He turned to look at me, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Why Seattle? You could've picked anywhere."

I hesitated, my grip tightening on the steering wheel. Why Seattle? It felt like a question I'd been asking myself, too. I shrugged, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "I don't know... It's just different, I guess. Feels like the opposite of New York in every way."

Lucian raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for more of an explanation. "Okay, but what's in it for you? What do you get out of it?"

I shrugged, trying to play it off. "A fresh start, I guess."

Lucian huffed a laugh. "Right. Fresh start." I could tell he was being sarcastic.

I shot him a sidelong glance, rolling my eyes, but continued. "If I'm lucky, I might get a new job out there, maybe something with fewer headaches and just start over."

Lucian watched me, his smirk fading slightly, something more serious in his expression. "Shit, you're really thinking long-term, huh? Never thought I'd hear you talk like this."

"Yeah, well, people change." I muttered.

"Not that much." His tone was teasing, but I could tell he was trying to feel out my real reasons. Lucian always knew when I was holding back.

I sighed, knowing I couldn't just brush it off. "It's not as crowded, not as fast. Fewer people to deal with. It's quieter. We need that... you need that."

Lucian let out a small laugh, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Ah, so this is all about me now?"

"Not everything's about you." I shot back with a soft smile. "But yeah, getting you out of New York is part of it. You don't exactly have a history of making smart choices, and we both know it. Seattle's quieter. Fewer distractions."

Lucian scoffed, but there was no real bite in it. "Fewer distractions, huh? You're not seriously thinking you can keep me out of trouble in the middle of nowhere."

"Who said anything about keeping you out of trouble?" I smirked. "I'm just trying to keep you alive long enough to figure out what the hell you wanna do with your life."

He laughed under his breath, shaking his head. "Yeah, good luck with that."

There was a moment of silence as the road stretched on in front of us. Lucian stared out the window again, his expression softening slightly.